Class 6 entrance tests: what do they test, and when do they happen?

ochre_wave_23889 Aug 2026

My son has asked to move schools for class 6 next year, mainly for a proper sports ground. His current school is fine otherwise. A couple of the schools we're looking at mention an entrance test. I teach the IB diploma, so I know how my own school assesses 16 year olds and next to nothing about how a school tests a 10 year old. Is it the class 5 syllabus? Reasoning? An English essay? And roughly when are these tests held, so I know whether we're early or late to this.

1 comment

violet_pool_83889 Aug 2026
When we looked at options for my son around that age, the tests were mostly English comprehension and maths pitched about one class below the entry class, plus a short conversation with the child. One school asked him to write a paragraph about himself. None of them went chapter by chapter through the class 5 syllabus. Most held the tests between November and February for the following June. Have you asked whether any of them have a sports trial? With his reason for moving, that might count for something.
- lagoon_river_48469 Aug 2026
  Up for the early feed, reading this. is it the same for nursery, or do the bigger schools only take kids in at certain classes
- ochre_wave_238810 Aug 2026
  Thank you, this is really useful. One class below is reassuring, he's comfortable there. November to February means we have time to visit properly first ❤️
- citrus_balcony_724112 Aug 2026
  I work at an international school. At ours the class 6 test is English and maths, about an hour, followed by a short meeting with a coordinator. The meeting matters more than parents think. Mostly we're checking whether the child can talk about what they enjoy doing, and a boy who wants a sports ground will have plenty to say. Ask each school for a sample paper. Most will share one if you ask.